酒
jiǔ
In Chinese, the word for alcohol is 酒 (jiǔ). Wiktionary also lists 烈酒 (lièjiǔ) and 蒸餾酒 / 蒸馏酒 (zhēngliújiǔ).
Meaning: intoxicating beverage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 酒 | jiǔ |
| 烈酒 | lièjiǔ |
| 蒸餾酒 / 蒸馏酒 | zhēngliújiǔ |
酒 is the standard term used when referring to alcoholic beverages. If you are speaking in a scientific or medical context about the chemical compound ethanol, you should use 酒精. Additionally, the term 酒量 is used to describe a person's alcohol tolerance or how much they can drink.
Which one should you use?
酒 is a general term for all alcoholic beverages. In contrast, 烈酒 specifically refers to spirits or strong liquor with a high alcohol content. While 酒 refers to the beverage itself, 酒精 is used when referring to the chemical substance or the specific smell of alcohol.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'to drink alcohol', you use the verb-object construction 喝酒, combining the verb 喝 (to drink) with the noun 酒.
How do you pronounce it?
jiǔ
Did you know?
- In some formal Chinese toasts, it is common to hold your glass lower than the other person's glass as a sign of modesty and respect.
- In Chinese, the word for 'spirits' or 'liquor', 烈酒, contains the character 烈, which means 'violent' or 'fierce'.
- The ancient character for alcohol, 酉, was originally a pictograph representing a wine vessel or a jar used for fermentation.
Examples in context
- 我可以喝酒吗？Can I drink alcohol?This sentence demonstrates asking permission to drink alcohol using 酒.Tatoeba #567980 by GlossaMatik, translation #64381 by ddnktr
- 你為什麼不喜歡喝酒？What kind of alcohol do you like to drink?Tatoeba #6120163 by xjjAstrus, translation #6138571 by Sethlang
- 我能闻到他呼吸中的酒精味。I could smell the alcohol on his breath.This sentence shows how to describe the smell of alcohol using the term 酒.Tatoeba #5611605 by verdastelo9604, translation #3500606 by Hybrid
- 我要一杯啤酒。I'd like a glass of beer.
- 酒对身体健康有害。Alcohol is harmful to your health.
- 现在我们来做一个含酒精的实验。Let's conduct an experiment involving alcohol.
- 他喜欢喝烈酒。He enjoys drinking strong alcohol.
- 今晚我买了一些酒水。Tonight, I bought some alcoholic beverages.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Haoran are at a restaurant deciding what to order.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你想喝点酒吗？Nǐ xiǎng hē diǎn jiǔ ma?Do you want to drink some alcohol?
- 浩然 Haoran我今天不太想喝酒。Wǒ jīntiān bù tài xiǎng hē jiǔ.I don't really want to drink alcohol today.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我们点果汁吧。Nà wǒmen diǎn guǒzhī ba.Then let's order some juice.
- 浩然 Haoran好，听你的。Hǎo, tīng nǐ de.Okay, up to you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “alcohol” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 酒, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
